The 2025-2026 TV season officially ended more than a month ago, and there’s excitement for the back half of the 2026 TV schedule to deliver returning fall favorites, new Netflix shows and more. But first, praise and attention must be given to all the biggest shows from the past year that drew the largest crowds across broadcast, cable and streaming. Unsurprisingly, mega-producer Taylor Sheridan is all over that list, with three shows sitting very comfortably in the Top 10. Just not in the very top spots.
Nielsen has unveiled its latest comprehensive stats on 2025-2026 TV (via Variety), and as it usually goes, sports programming accounts for the biggest viewing audiences, with Super Bowl LX garnering the most massive viewership. But when we factor out sports and other live events, and focus squarely on scripted creations and docuseries, that’s when Sheridan and other small-screen favorites can rise up.
